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Nov. 29, 1960 1. H. c. GREEN 7 2,961,857

, YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FiledApril 29, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fla. 1 F132 fA/VENTOR Isa/1c H. C.GAEEA/ Nov. 29, 1960 I 2,961,857

YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD 1 FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 1. H.c. GREEN 9 Sheets -Sh'eet 2 Filed April 29', 1957 E m ,M M

Nov. 29, 1960 I. H. c. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FORCIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 29, 1957 [Nms/vroe Isa/2c b. 6. GREEN 1960 H. c. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM ANDMETHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Flled Aprll 29 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet4 [NI/Emmi? Ian/1c //C Giff/V 4w m6 W Nov. 29, 1960 I. H. c. GREEN YARNFEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 9Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 29. 1957 Nov- 29, 19 1. H. c. GREEN 2,961,857YARN FEE G MECHANISM AND M ETHOD FOR c1 LAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April29, 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. 14

Nov. 29, 1960 1. H. c. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FORCIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed April 29. 1957 29,1960A I. H. c. GREEN 2,961,857

1 YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FiledApril 29. 1957 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 a INVENTOR [5440 hi C. G8 I m am I. H.C. GREEN YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINENov. 29, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 29. 1957 INVEN To I sAAc hfc. GREEN flrr 'f ma /m United States Patent 72,961,857 Patented Nov. 29,1960 YARN FEEDING MECHANISM AND METHODFOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHHQEIsaac H. C. Green, Pawtucket, RJz, assignor to Hemphill Company,Pawtucket, R.I., a corporation of Massachusetts FiledApn 29, 1957, Ser.No. 655,680

10 Claims. (Cl.-66--43) This invention concerns-knitting machines. Ithas particular reference to circular, independent needle, hosierymachines and improved yarn-lever systems and associated mechanismsforuse therein.

The principal object of the invention is to increase-the patterningscope and to improve the yarn feeding mechanism of automatic knittingmachines. A more specific object is to provide a method of knitting anda mechanism which will make it possible to knit, fully automatically,fabric having intersecting patterns such as the overplaid lines of thetraditional solid color diamond argyle stocking.

This is accomplished by interchanging yarns between adjacent yarn leversduring the knitting of different portions of the fabric.

A preferred embodiment of the invention andfsome modifications thereofare shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view, from the left side, of a traditional argyle stockingwith overplaid;-

Figure 2 is a view, from the right side, of the same stocking;

Figure 3 is a view, from the front: of thepa-tterned' leg of thestocking. of Figures 1 and 2, with the fabric cut up the back and laidout flat;

Figure 4 is, a plan view of 'a yarn leveroperating and yarn feed controlmechanism;

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of a' portion of the yarn leveroperating and yarn control mechanism of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of-the mechanism of Figure 5 withthe yarn control mechanism shifted to a different position;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the mechanism of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a section along the line 8-8: of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a section along the line 9-9 of Figure 4;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a yarn lever assembly; Figure 11 is aperspective view of a yarn feeding element or trapper from the assemblyof Figure 7;

Figure 12 is a partial front elevation of ayarn.lever operatingmechanism used in practicing the invention;

Figure 13 is a view of a rocker lever usedwiththe mechanism of Figure12;

Figure 14 is a perspective plan view of an auxiliary yarn controldevice;

Figure 15 is a perspective viewof mechanism for controlling theoperation of the device of Figure 14;

Figure 16 is a plan view of anotheryarn lever control system in a secondmodification of the invention;

Figure 17 is a-plan view, on a larger scale, of a portion of themechanism of Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a section along the line 1-8-18 of Fig are 17;

Figure 19- is asectional view along the line 19--19'of Figure 18;

Figure 20 is a similar section of'part'of the mechanism 2; of Figure 19with the yarn controlling elementsin. a'different position;

Figure 21 is a section along the line 21-21 of Figure 18;

Figure 22 is a plan view of a yarn feeding system in a thirdmodification of the invention;

Figure 23 is a' front elevation of the mechanism of Figure 22; and

Figure 24 is a perspective view along the line 24-24 of Figure 23.

The traditional argyle stocking sketched in Figs. 1-3 features apatterned leg comprising gray (G), yellow'(Y), and maroon (M) diamondsintersected by red (R') and blue (B) lines spiraling down through thevarious, diamonds and crossing each other.

In U.S. Patent No. 2,2l.7,022, there is disclosed a machine which hasproduced this general type of solid color patterned argyle hose in. asatisfactory and economic manner. This machine has been manufactured bythe Hemphill Company of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and sold under thetrademark Banner, models SCP and SCOP. The SCOP model of the machine,embodying an invention disclosed in co-pending application Serial No.397,445, filed December 10, 1953, now Patent No. 2,934.- 921 is evencapable of knitting a solid diamondpattern with an overplaid. In theproduct of this machine, however, the overplaid lines within a diamond,although they appear to. intersect or cross-each other, are actuallyknit from the upper sides of the diamonds, down through their respectivequadrants in converging directions until they touch in the center; andthen, down and out in diverging directions to the bottom sides of thediamond-so that what appear to be crossing lines are actually convergingzigzags, and there is no crossing of colors.

Fully automatic mechanism for crossing yarns in the manner desired isshown in Figs 4-13. This mechanism is adapted to be combined withthemachine disclosed in Patent No. 2,217,022, and to knit a solid colorstocking with overplaid in the manner disclosed and with themechanismshown in Application No. 397,445, now Patent No. 2,934,921, referred topreviously. Reference may be made. to this patent and application formore detailedinformation to amplify the present disclosure.

In the present machine, the needle selection and the yarn lever controlis the same as the Banner SCOP; but, at the point in the knitting cyclewhen the two yarns converge in the center of the diamond and then startto diverge in' the SCOP, the yarn feeding levers in the presentmechanism change yarns so that the same yarn which was knitting in theupper left hand quadrant is knit in the lower right, and the overplaidyarn of the upper right is knit in the lower left quadrant. Thus, a truecross-over of yarns is accomplished.

Referring to Fig. 4, a circle of needles I knit yarns fed by yarn levers2-9. Levers 2, 3, 4 and 5 feed the moves rack 15 in'the oppositedirection. In this manner,

the positionsof the eyelets 1 013' can be shifted as shown, for example,by comparing Figs. 5 and 6.

The rack 14 is operated by a lever 20 through an extension 21. Thisextension ispivoted against a stop 22 On the lever 20,

24 and 25 adjustably mounted on the ends of the cxtension and rack,respectively. A tension spring 26 con a rack 14; and eyelets againstwhich=it is held by a spring 23; and" is connected to the rack 14 bymeans of interlocking ears nected between the extension 21 and bracket17 urges the rack 14 in the direction opposite to the arrow of Fig. 4.The lever 20 is operated by cams 27--30 on a pattern drum 31. (See Figs.4 and 7).

Figs. 9-13 show details of the yarn feeding levers and their associatedmechanisms.

A general view of the mechanism operating a single lever is shown inFig. 12. A conventional yarn feeding lever, such as 'lever 2 which feedsone of the diamond yarns, is shown in yarn feeding position in which itis held by a spring 32 connected between an car 33 on the lever and astationary bracket 34. The lever is pivoted at 35 and is raised out ofyarn feeding position when the cam following portion 36 of a rocker 37is lifted by a cam 38 on a rotating drum 39. The rocker 37 is connectedto the yarn feeding lever 2 through an intermediate lever 40.

This combination of operating cams 38, a rocker 37, and intermediatelever 40 is repeated for each of the yarn feeding levers 2-9.

The yarn feeding portions of the levers 69 which feed the overplaidyarns differ from the feeding portions of levers 2-5 which knit thediamond yarns in that they have been specially constructed to permityarns to be interchanged between adjacent levers ot accomplish thecross-over desired.

Figs. 10 andll show an enlarged view of this special construction asfound, for example, in levers 6 and 7. The main body or operatingportion of the lever is provided with an elongated slot which has a yarnfeeding element, or trapper, 41 reciprocably mounted therein. Thiselement has an open center area through which yarn runs as it is takenby the needles; and an opening is provided in the side through which alength of running yarn can be pushed laterally into the center insteadof having to be threaded therethrough. A combination of two adjacentlevers, one with a trapper having a left hand opening and the other withits trapper having a right hand opening, makes it possible, withappropriate lateral pushing of the yarns, to interchange them betweenlevers.

As shown in Fig. 10 and also in Figs. and 6, the levers 6 and 7 areprovided with right and left hand yarn guiding apertures or notchesrespectively, which, when the levers lie contiguous to each other, forma rectangular slot 42. When the elements 41 are pushed forward so thatthey project out from the levers in the manner shown in dotted line inFig. and in full lines in Figs. 5 and 6, there is no side wall in therespective levers to prevent the yarns from being switched back andforth. When, however, the elements 41 are slid back into the main bodyof their respective yarn feeding levers, the hook-like portion at theend of the elements 41 come into register with the notches forming slot42 and close the break in the side wall of the levers so that the yarnscannot transfer from one lever to another. Both the levers 6 and 7 shownin Fig. 9 have their elements 41 retracted in this manner.

The elements 41 are reciprocated back and forth between the full anddotted line positions shown in Fig. 10 by the pushing action of a plate43 against rods 44 which are screwed or riveted to the elements 41.Compression springs 45 pushing between the main body of the levers andcollars 46 on the rods 44 (see Fig. 9) normally hold the elements in thefull line position of Fig. 10. When the plate 43 which is mounted on ashaft 47 is pivoted to push against the rods 44, the springs 45 arecompressed and the elements 41 project from their respective levers tothe yarn switching position (dotted line, Fig. 10) wherein the openingsin their side wall are in register with slot 42. The shaft 47 is turned,for this purpo y Yams 48 on the pattern drum 31 by means of a rockerlever 49 and a crank 50 to move the plate 43 as required (see Figs. 4and 7).

Operation As stated above, the method of knitting and the basicmechanism for making the argyle stocking shown in Figs. 13 is describedin US. Patent No. 2,217,022 and copending application No. 397,445, nowPatent No. 2,934,- 921. The present disclosure is limited to themechanism which makes it possible to cross the overplaid yarns and theoperation thereof.

Figs, 5 and 6 show that, with the rack 14 in its extreme right handposition and the rack 15 moved to its extreme left (Fig. 5), the redyarn fed to the eyelet 10 is pulled to the extreme right hand side ofthe slot 42 and Well within the confines of lever 6. Similarly, the blueyarn B, feeding through eyelet 12, is pulled to the extreme left handside of notch 42 and into the confines of lever 7. Similarly, the redyarn feeding through eyelet 11 and blue yarn feeding through eyelet 13are pulled to the opposite sides of their slots 42 and within theconfines of levers 3 and 9, respectively.

When rack 14 is shifted to its extreme left hand position and rack 15 toits extreme right, as shown in Fig. 6, the two yarns feeding througheach of the slots 42 have reversed themselves. The blue yarn feedingthrough eyelet 12 is now drawn against the right hand side of slot 42and into lever 6, while the red yarn feeding through eyelet 10 is drawnagainst the left hand side of its slot 42 and into lever 7. Similarly,the blue yarn feeding through eyelet 13 and the red yarn feeding througheye- 'let 11 are drawn against the right and left hand sides,respectively, of their slot 42 and into the levers 8 and 9.

The racks take the position of Fig. 5 when the cam following portion ofthe operating lever 20 rides in recess 27 on pattern drum 31 and theopposite extreme position of Fig. 6 when the lever rides to the top ofcam 29. The racks take intermediate positions with the eyelets lyingdirectly in line with the'yarn feeding levers instead of switching theyarn to an extreme position against the sides of the slots 42 when theoperating lever is riding on either of the intermediate earns 28 and 30.

Referring to the top front yellow diamond Y shown in Fig. 3, the redoverplaid yarn knitting in the top right hand quadrant of the diamond isfed to the needles through eyelet 10 and lever 6, and the blue yarnknitting in the top left hand quadrant of the diamond through eyelet 12and lever 7. During this period of the knitting cycle, the cam followingportion of the lever 20 is riding on the lower intermediate cam 28 whichbrings eyelet 10 into line with lever 6 and eyelet 12 into line withlever 7 to facilitate the yarn feeding.

When the cross-over point at the center of the diamond is reached, lever20 rides to the top of cam 29 (Fig. 4) and the racks are pulled to theextreme position shown in Fig. 6. At the same time, the lever 49 ismoved by cam 48, also on the pattern drum 31, to rock shaft 47 and turnplate 43 to push rods 44 and project elements 41 from their respectiveyarn levers. The effect of these changes is to switch the red yarn fromthe confines of lever 6 to lever 7 and the blue yarns from the confinesof lever 7 to lever 6.

The pattern drum 31 is thereupon moved another step. Cam 48 passes outfrom under rocker 49 which causes the shaft 47 to turn in the oppositedirection, and plate 43 to release the rods 44 so that the spring 45snaps the yarn trapping and feeding elements 41 back within theirrespective yarn levers.

At the same time, the cam following portion of lever 20 passes from cam29 to the higher intermediate cam 30 bringing eyelet 10, feeding the redyarn, into line with lever 7, and eyelet 12, feeding the blue yarn, intoline with lever 6.

When the over-plaid yarns have been knit down through the lower left andright hand quadrants of the yellow front diamond, the yarn feedinglevers 6 and 7 are held 15 out of action by mechanism, standard on theBanner SCP and SOQP machines and not shown here, so that theseparticular yarns are not knit into the fabric until: the first quarterof the front maroon diamond shown in Fig. 3 has been completed.

At this point, the pattern drum 31 is steppe again. This time, thecamfollowing portion of the rack operating lever 20"falls into the recess27 and the rocker 49 is operated by a cam 48 to move the plate 43' andpush the yarn trapping and feeding elements 41- out of their levers.This causes the racks. to take the position shown in Fig. 5 and makes itpossible for eyelet to draw its red yarn into the confines of lever 6and eyelet 12 to switch its blue yarn from lever 6 over to lever 7.

On'the next move of the pattern drum 31', rocker 49 passes ofi the cam48', causing elements 41 to return to their normal position shown inFig. 9; and, the lever 20 rides on the lower intermediary cam 28 whichbrings eyelet 10 into line with lever 6 and eyelet 12 into line withlever 7.

The operation has been described for the overplaid in the yellow andmaroon diamonds at the front of the stocking. At the same time, levers 8and 9 are going through similar operations to knit the overplaid inmaroon and yellow diamonds at the rear of the stocking; and, if this isa two-feed machine of the type described in Patent No. 2,217,022,another pair of similar levers will knit at an auxiliary station on theopposite side of the machine and will be similarly operated to knit thecrossing overplaid yarn in the green diamonds on either side of thestocking,

Auxiliary controls It will be appreciated that, if the yarns are goingto move smoothly from one yarn lever to the other, the feeding elementsmust be at exactly the same height, and the yarns should run. as freelyas possible through the open area of the slots 42. In order toaccomplish these purposes, two auxiliary controls are provided.

The operating lever adjusting mechanism, shown in Figs. 12 and 13, isused to prevent wear of the cam following portions 36 or the cams 3 8which operate the yarn levers from affecting the height of the yarnfeeding elements. This adjusting mechanism consists of a hinged camfollowing. portion 36 on the rocker 37, pivoted at 51. An adjustingscrew 52 is threaded through the body of the lever 37, butting againstthe portion 36; and a spring'53 draws the cam following portion 36against the screw 52, thereby making possible an accurate adjustment ofthe height of each yarn feeding lever by adjusting its screw 52.

In order to insure that the yarns will run freely through the slots 42and not be caught by the trapping elements 41 or the levers 69 duringthe yarn switching process, the yarn pushing mechanism shown in Figs. 14and 15 is provided. 1

Fig. 14 shows the yarn pusher in a perspective view Without the yarnswitching racks and associated mechanism of the other figures. Thispusher consists of a vertically movable shaft 54 having yarn engagingmembers 55 and 56 at its lower extremity. A tension spring 57, mountedon an extension 58 of a stationary bracket 59 carried by the post 60which supports the carrier ring 18, normally pulls the shaft 54.to anuppermost position where the elements 55 and'56 are in the full lineposition shown in Fig. 14 and merely guide the yarns feeding through ithe, inactive levers.

When yarns are to be interchanged between adjacent levers, in the mannerof this invention, the shaft 54 is pushed downward by the mechanismshown in Fig. 15 so thatthe members 55 and 56 take the dottedlineposition shown in Fig. 14 and push the yarn toward the center of theslots 42 to facilitate the switching process.

As shown in Fig. 15, the shaft 54 .is operated by cams 61on one of thepattern drums, 62 of the machine. The pattern drums 62 are similar tothedrums 31 and move in coordination with them. When a, cross-over of theoverplaid yarns is to take place, cam 61 on drum- 62 rocks a lever 63pivoted on an extension 64 fixed to the carrier ring supporting bracket60. The lever 63 is secured to a rod 65 connected to a toggle lever 66which in turn. pushes the shaft 54 downwards to the dotted line positionshown in Fig; 14.

After the change-over has been accomplished, the drum 62 is steppedagain, and the shaft 54 is released to be pulled upward by the spring 57and allow the yarns to come under control of their individual leversWithout interference from the members 55 and 56.

Modifications A plan view of a modified form ofthe; invention is shownin Fig. 16. This view shows the modification applied to a two-feed solidcolor knitting machine of the SCP or SCOP type referred to above.

This mechanism differs from the one previously described in that,instead of interchanging the yarns themselves between adjacent yarnfeeding levers, yarn feeding elements together with their yarns areinterchanged between adjacent operating mechanisms, so that, forexample, a feeding element carrying a blue overplaid yarn will beoperated first by one mechanism and then by another, while a companionfeeding, element carrying red yarn will be operated first by the other,and then by the first after the crossover takes place.

This is accomplished principally by the use of spindles 67 each of whichcarries a pair of'yarn feeding elements 68 and 69. The spindles areoperated by racks 70 which mesh with a spur gear 71 on the bottom of thespindle 67. (See Fig. 21). The racks are operated from pattern drums 31'by means of rods ,20 andv extensions 21. in the manner described for theprevious modification.

The yarn feeding elements 68 and 69' of the spindles67' comprise aneyelet 72 in a body portion 73. Two rods 74 pass from the body portion73 up through. individual holes inthe spindles 67 and are slidabl'etherein; and tensionsprings 75, pulling between the uppermost. ends ofthese rods and a fixed bracket 76 which supports the spindles 67', urgethe elements 68' and; 69 to yarn feeding position.

Levers 77, which are substituted for the yarn feeding levers 69 in theprevious modification, are employed to bear against the body portion 73'of the yarn feeding elements 68 and 69; in the manner'shown in Fig. 18,to push against the tension of the spring 75' and holdthern up out ofyarn feeding position. When, by means ofthe conventional yarn leveroperating mechanism. shown in Figs. 9- and 12,.a lever 77 is moved tothe lower dotted line positionshown in Fig. 18, spring 75 causes itselement 68 or 69' to assume the yarn feedingposition shown, also indotted line', in Fig. 18.

A plurality of operating levers 77 are usedat each station in adjacentpairs, as shown in Fig. 17. For eachpair of operating levers 77.'thereis a spindle 67 containing a pair of adjacent yarn feeding elements, 68and 69.

By moving the rack 70 which turns the spindle 67' because of its gearedrelationship thereto, the relationship of each pair of feeding, elements68, 69 and' operating levers 77 is interchanged in the manner shown inFigs. 19 and 20 so that, whereas one lever 77' was operating an element68 to feed a blue yarn and its adjacent lever 77 was operating adjacentelement 69in the same spindle. to.

operating levers 77, but which is too small to permit them to pass toyarn feeding position if the elements 68 and 69 are twisted out of line.

A third modification of the invention shown in Figs. 22-24 is similar tothe second modification just described, except that the action of thelevers which control the operation of the yarn feeding elements isreversed. In this modification, the tension springs 75 which pull theyarn feeding elements into active position in the previous modificationare replaced by compression springs 79 which push between collars 80 onrods 74 and bracket 76 to hold the feeding elements 68', 69' in theinactive position shown in full line in Fig. 23.

A special lever 81 is operated by an intermediate lever 82 mounted inline with and as a part of a conventional SCOP yarn feeding leverassembly on the carrier ring 18'. The operative connection between thetwo consists of a projection 82a from lever 82 overlying an ear 81a onlever 81. The levers 82 are pivoted with the regular yarn levers on astud 83 passing through brackets 84 screwed to lugs 85 rising from thecarrier ring 18.

As shown in Figs. 23 and 24, the operating levers 81, which swing on apivot 86 carried by brackets 84, engage the top of elements 68 and 69'when moved by lever 82 and push downward against the spring action tomove the elements into yarn feeding position. A tension spring 87between lever 81 and bracket 34' normally holds the lever out of yarnfeeding position until intermediate lever 40 is operated by a rocker andcam drum arrangement such as that shown in Fig. 12 to pivot the lever82. It should be noted that, whereas in the mechanism of Fig. 12 thelevers are spring urged to operative position and cammed out ofoperation, in this modification the levers are spring held out ofoperation and are cam moved into yarn feeding position.

The invention has been described as applied to a twofeed Hemphill, modelSCOP, solid color argyle knitting machine of the type described in US.Patent No. 2,217,022 and application No. 397,445, now Patent No.2,934,921, and as it would be used to cross yarns in a traditionalarglye pattern with overplaid. It is also applicable to other machinesand to the knitting of other patterns, including straight bar and unitedneedle machines.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine having a plurality of independently operableyarn feed controls, each including a cam operated lever, and whereinmeans is provided for interchanging yarns between controls, means foradjusting the height of said controls which comprises a hinged camfollowing portion on each of said levers, said levers having a main bodyportion and an adjusting screw between the hinged portion and said mainbody portion of the lever, and a spring urging said hinged portion andsaid body together against said screw.

2. Yarn feeding means for a circular, independent needle, knittingmachine which comprises two adjacent yarn feeding levers, a yarn guidingaperture in each lever so disposed that each said aperture communicateswith that adjacent, movable means for opening and closing off saidapertures, and means for switching a feeding yarn from one said apertureto the other when said movable means is in position to open one apertureto the other.

3. Yarn feeding means for a circular,.independent needle, knittingmachine which comprises at least one pair of adjacent yarn feedinglevers, a yarn guiding enclosed slot formed by oppositely directedapertures one in each of two adjacent levers, means movable to oneposition to prevent interchange of yarns from the opening in one of saidtwo levers to the opening in the other, said means being movable to asecond position to permit such interchange, and means for effecting saidinterchange of yarns when said movable means is in said second position.

4. The yarn feeding means of claim 2 wherein said switching meanscomprises a pair of elements adapted to be moved in opposite directionssimultaneously and having eyelets therein for controlling the movementof said yarn in said slot.

5. The yarn feeding means of claim 2 wherein said switch means comprisesa pair of parallel racks interconnected by gear means such that positivedisplacement of one of said racks in one direction causes simultaneousdisplacement of the other of said racks in the opposite direction, andmeans on said racks for controlling movement of yarns in said slot.

6. Yarn feeding means for a circular, independent needle, knittingmachine which comprises two adjacent yarn feeding levers, a notch ineach of said levers so disposed that an enclosed slot is formed whensaid levers lie contiguous to each other, yarn trappers movable to afirst position to prevent an interchange of yarn in said slot from onesaid lever to that adjacent and to a second position to permit suchinterchange, spring means urging said trappers toward said firstposition, a cam operated plate adapted to urge said trappers to saidsecond position, and switching means for effecting interchange of yarnswhen said trappers are in said second position which comprises a pair ofparallel racks interconnected by gear means such that displacement ofone of said racks in one direction causes simultaneous displacement ofthe other of said racks in the opposite direction, and eyelets on saidracks for controlling movement of yarns in said slot.

7. The yarn feeding means of claim 6 which includes means for adjustingthe height of said yarn feeding levers which comprises a hinged camfollowing portion on each of said levers, said levers having a main bodyportion and an adjusting screw between the hinged portion and said mainbody portion, and a spring urging said hinged portion and said bodytogether against said screw.

8. A method of knitting, on a circular, independent needle relativelyfixed feed knitting machine having first and second yarn feedingmechanisms operable independently of each other by means of first andsecond lever members, respectively, patterned fabric wherein a firstpattern knit with a first yarn and a second pattern knit with a secondyarn cross each other which includes the step, during said knitting, ofinterchanging the relationship between said feeding mechanisms and saidlever members so that said first mechanism is controlled by said secondlever member and said second mechanism is controlled by said first levermember.

9. Yarn feeding means for a circular, independent needle, relativelyfixed feed knitting machine which comprises a spindle, two adjacent yarnfeeding elements slidably mounted on said spindle between a yarn feedingposition and an inactive position, separate lever means for moving eachof said feeding elements to said inactive position, spring means urgingeach of said feeding elements toward said yarn feeding position, andmeans for reciprocating said spindle so as to interchange therelationship between said lever means and said feeding elements.

10. The yarn feeding means of claim 9 wherein said reciprocating meanscomprises a cam operated rack element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS580,825 Burleigh Apr. 13, 1897 768,279 Hirner Aug. 23, 1904 1,923,949Nobst Aug. 22, 1933 2,235,726 Pass Mar. 18, 1941 2,377,729 Toone et alJune 5, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,369 Great Britain Nov. 8, 1886 266,796Great Britain Feb. 25, 1927

